We took it slow at first, only dated once a week. I didn't want to pressure her into anything. Then there was a fire and Kate's place was destroyed. You lost everything, didn't you, darlin'?"

"Everything precious to me."

If they only saw each other once a week, he could have missed it, but he hadn't missed the fact that Jack had been out with other women at the same time. The cocktail waitress slept with him just before he left the city.

"Sorry you didn't get an invite to our wedding, but I assumed you wouldn't want one. Maybe I shouldn't say this, Nathan, but you're better off without Alison. I wasn't the only one she fucked. She said she wasn't ready to settle down for a once-a-week shag. Oh, here I am running off at the mouth. Maybe you're back together. You didn't take her back, did you?"

"No. I didn't take her back." And now the subject had come up, Nathan couldn't leave it alone. "What happened, Jack? Why'd you do it?" Nathan looked straight at him. He didn't care that Jack's new wife was sitting there listening.

"Alison asked me to meet her for lunch. We had fun, a bottle of wine and while I drove her home she unzipped me." Jack licked his lips and Nathan clenched his fists under the table. "She said she'd always wanted to do it in a car, but you never would."

Nathan fought off the urge to flatten him but a weight had lifted. Jack was lying. He and Alison had made love in her car. Twice.

"She said I made her realize you didn't do it for her anymore." It had all been lies and he was wasting his time. Jack was sick. The child came back to the table and began crayoning.

"The stupid bitch thought I'd marry her. I don't like pushy women. I like them sweet and innocent." Jack planted a kiss on Kate's lips. "It's more exciting fucking Kate. She's real inventive. I never know what she's going to do."

"Watch your language in front of Tommy." Kate put her finger over Jack's mouth.

Jack took her wrist and pulled her hand out of sight. Again.

Nathan was tempted to tell Kate Jack had slept with at least seven women while he'd supposedly been getting back with her, but he didn't. Whatever else was going on here, Kate had married him. She must have seen some redeeming feature in the asshole, though he had no idea what. Although Nathan sensed something wrong, he wouldn't do anything. They had a child and were trying to make a life for themselves. He was never going to get the truth from Jack about why he'd gone after Alison. Don was probably right-it was simply because he could.

He stood. "You don't mind if I take a walk down to the lake, do you?"

"Yeah, I do. It's private property. Get in your car and crawl back under your rock."

Nathan took a deep breath. The thought of never seeing Jack again lightened his heart. "Thanks for the coffee, Kate."

"You're welcome."

Kate had struggled to make sense of the conversation but now she felt sure Nathan was no friend of Jack's. Jack had slept with his girlfriend. She touched the outside of her pocket, felt the piece of paper and kept looking at Nathan, trying to make him understand without her having to speak or do anything.

While Jack's eyes were off her, she pulled the note into her fist.

"Come and say good-bye, Tommy," Kate said.

The boy left the table and went over to the door. He held out his arms and Nathan reached down, picked him up and hugged him. "Bye, Tommy, look after your Mommy."

Nathan put him down and turned to Kate. "Bye, Kate. It was nice to meet you."

Kate held out her hand. "Have a safe journey." Her heart pounded as Nathan took her hand and palmed the paper without giving a sign. Then Jack held out his hand and Kate's heart jumped straight into her mouth. Nathan's fists stayed clenched at his side.

"I don't think so." He turned and walked away.

Kate's stomach looped the loop as she watched Nathan wade through the snow to his car. He was going to help them.

After he drove away, Kate went back into the house and saw the coloring book open on the table. If Jack flipped through it, he'd see she'd torn out a page. She found the elephant Tommy had scribbled over and ripped it out. Then found the tractor and ripped that out, too.

Jack closed the door. "What are you doing?"

"I told Tommy I'd put his pictures on the wall."

"Good idea."

"Your picture, too, Mommy," Tommy said.

Oh God, please, no.

"Did Mommy do a picture?"

Tommy nodded. Kate tried to think but could come up with nothing.

Jack strode to her side. "Where's yours?"

"In here somewhere." She flipped through the pages.

Jack snatched the book. "What have you done?"

"Nothing."

"Where's the picture, Kate?"

"I threw it out."

Even as that came out, she knew it wouldn't work. Jack flipped through the book. "Where's the page?"

"I don't know. I told you I threw it out."

"Did you give him a note?"

Kate looked straight at him. "No."

Jack's knife appeared out of nowhere. He sat Tommy on the table and held his wrist. "The truth or he loses a finger. Did you give Nathan a note?"

"Yes," she whispered.

"You stupid fucking bitch." He released Tommy and smacked Kate across the face, sending her reeling. "Out to the car. Now." He picked up Tommy, grabbed Kate's arm and dragged her out of the house.

"You're driving," Jack snapped. "Catch up with him." He reached inside the car to flick up the hood. As Kate fastened Tommy in his seat, the hood slammed down.

"Quit stalling. Get in the driver's seat." He threw her the keys and got in the back.

Kate fastened her belt and set off down the track. The only sign of Nathan was a trail in the snow. She felt blood trickling down her cheek and wiped it with her sleeve.

"You're not going fast enough," Jack yelled.

Kate increased her speed.

"Put your fucking foot down or I'll cut off his ear," he screamed.

Tommy sobbed. Kate accelerated, terrified they'd skid off the trail and into a tree.

"There's his car. Flash your lights. Make him stop. When he does, pull up behind him and stay in your seat. I want him to come to us." He dropped down out of sight. She and Tommy wore seat belts. Jack didn't.

Kate pressed her foot harder on the gas and the car fishtailed over the track. Once she was sure Nathan had seen them, she twisted the wheel and stamped hard on the brake. The Suburban skidded to the left, bumping over the ground. Kate spun the wheel the other way and the car swung back to the track, heading for Nathan's vehicle.

Kate clung on to the wheel as the Suburban dropped into a depression and the undercarriage scraped along the ground. A tree loomed in front of them but before they reached it, the car shuddered to a halt. The seat belt saved Kate from hitting the windshield. She turned to check on Tommy. He was crying, but still secure. Jack lay on the floor of the car. Not moving.

Chapter Twenty-Seven.

Kate unfastened her seatbelt and tumbled out of the car into knee deep snow.

She opened the back door, released Tommy and he scrambled into her arms, his face covered with tears. When Kate turned, Nathan was running toward her.

"Kate, watch out!" he shouted.

Something caught her at the back of her knees and she fell forward. Tommy screamed in her ear and hung onto her neck as they sprawled in the snow. Kate turned to see Jack looming over them, a knife in his hand, blood dripping from his nose, his eyes filled with fury.

"Stay down!" Nathan launched himself at Jack, driving him away from Kate.

Kate scrambled back, dragging Tommy with her and got to her feet. The boy pressed his face into her waist, his hands clutching her pants. "Make them stop," he sobbed.

Nathan's hand clamped around Jack's wrist as they thrashed around, but the knife remained tight in Jack's grasp.

"Go to Nathan's car, Tommy," Kate said. "Get in the back and don't touch anything."

The boy clung tighter, tears trickling down his cheeks. Kate peeled his hands away.

"Tommy, do as you're told. Right now."

The moment Tommy moved, she leaped on Jack.

"Run, Kate," Nathan yelled.

She ignored him, and wrapped her body around the arm that didn't hold the knife so Nathan had a chance to control the hand that did. A moment later the blade fell free, slicing into the snow and disappearing. Nathan swung hard, his fist connecting with Jack's jaw. As the two traded blows, rolling around, grunting and panting, Kate pawed through the snow, trying to find the knife. She cried out as Jack caught hold of her hair, wrenched her between him and Nathan, and elbowed her in the throat.

Kate collapsed. For a moment, she couldn't breathe. She rolled to her back, gasping for air. Jack and Nathan were on their feet, blood dripping from Jack's nose and Nathan's mouth. The two stared each other down, clouds of water vapor streaming from their mouths.

"What the fuck...did she write in the note?" Jack gasped.

"Milk...bread...a dozen eggs. If you didn't need them...you only had to say." Jack gave a short laugh, wiped his nose with the back of his hand, and glanced at the smear of blood. "Look, Kate and I...are going through a rocky patch. We just need to be...left alone."

Kate pushed herself upright and forced the word from her frozen lungs. "No."

"She's staying with me," Jack said.

"What do you want, Kate?" Nathan asked, but his attention never moved from Jack.

"To go with you."

Jack spun away from Nathan, his face a mask of fury and lunged at her. Kate turned to block the blow and he caught her shoulder. She went down like a stone.

Nathan grabbed Jack's arm and the two men toppled over. Kate lay crying and then rolled away, crawled to where she'd last seen the knife, and dug frantically in the snow.

A scream of pain filled her ears. She spun to see Nathan down and Jack kicking his leg. As Nathan tried to protect his knee, Jack grabbed him by the throat and slammed his head into the trunk of a tree. There was a loud crack.

Nathan slid down and didn't move. When the snow around his head turned pink, Kate began to scream.

"Shut the fuck up or I'll kill Tommy," Jack yelled.

She pressed her lips together and crawled to Nathan's side. His eyes were closed. The stain spread like a fungus under her fingers.

Jack bent, panting. "Fuck. We have to get him to the car. Get his legs." He grabbed hold of him under the arms while Kate caught Nathan's legs, struggled to lift them. They half-carried, half-dragged him back, leaving a trail of blood-smeared snow.

Tommy edged to the far side of the back seat as Jack maneuvered Nathan in next to him. Kate got into the front and slammed the door. Her fingers were frozen, her feet and clothes soaked. She turned to see Nathan lolling against Tommy who sucked his thumb so hard, his cheeks had turned into deep hollows.

"It's okay, Tommy." Kate rubbed the tears from her face with her sleeve.

Jack slid in the driver's side and slammed the door. When the road was wide enough, he U-turned toward the house. Kate slumped. As they passed the stranded Suburban, his hand shot out and slapped her across the face. Her head whipped to the side and fresh tears sprang into her eyes. Jack pulled up in the yard and turned off the engine, pocketing the keys.

"Take Tommy inside and put him in his room. Make sure he understands he has to stay there."

When Kate lifted Tommy from the car, his arms snaked around her neck.

"I want to go home," he whispered.

Kate hurried into the house. "Tommy, you have to be brave and I have to help Nathan. Do exactly as I say so Jack doesn't get upset. Stay in your room and keep the door closed. You mustn't come out, not for anything."

"I'm scared."

"Then hide under the bed with Monster. But don't come out of your room, okay?"

He nodded and Kate kissed him. "Good boy." She closed the door and turned to find Jack dragging Nathan into the living room by his shoulders. She didn't know why Jack hadn't killed him. Maybe because he was his half-brother? Kate picked up two knives from the drawer and slid them into the back of her pants. She wet a cloth at the sink and followed Jack.

"When he comes around, I'll explain it was a mistake," she said. "He'll leave and things will be back the way they were." Jack let Nathan drop and walked out. Kate fell to her knees and pressed the wet cloth against Nathan's head. "Wake up." He looked so pale, his eyelashes dark on his face, his lips colorless. Kate felt the lump on his head under her fingers, pressed it hard, wanting him to wake but he didn't stir.

"Nathan, please," she whispered and heard Jack coming back. Kate slipped one of the knives under the couch by Nathan's head.

"Leave him alone," Jack snapped. He caught hold of her by the hair and flung her aside. The remaining knife fell from the back of her pants, clattering on the wooden floor. As Kate reached for it, Jack stepped on her wrist. She let out a yelp of pain. He leaned down and scooped up the weapon.